The Clements family, mother Helen and her two children, found themselves in an unusual, and harrowing situation this week after their car caught on fire during a visit to the Longleat Safari Park, a drive-through safari park in Wiltshire, England. With horribly bad timing, their car burst into flames while the family was parked inside the lion enclosure watching the lions. Clements told reporters:

“It could have been in the flamingos or the camels but no, it had to be in the lion enclosure.”

The family believes the car caught on fire while they were parked because it overheated. Initially Clements believed the smoke was steam but as it darkened, she realized the car was on fire. She sounded the car’s horns and began to exit the vehicle when rangers began running towards them shouting, “Get back in the car, do not get out of the car!” Within moments a ranger vehicle arrived and ushered the family to safety before the car burst into flames.

Rangers moved the lions out of the enclosure and shut down the park while the car fire was extinguished. They say the lions never took their eyes off the smoke.

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